Raising Caleigh
by SoulSoother59
Summary: Finding her dad is the only beginning. But learning to live with him and follow his rules, well that's just a feat in itself. Caleigh has been without her father for over 19 years and decides that she's waited long enough for answers. Will she get everything she expected and more when she goes in search for him?
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter One - __For The First Time_

The Greyhound bus let out a puff of exhaust as it rolled into the bus terminal. Thick plumes of dark smoke pummeled from the back, choking the air with harmful fumes. The driver hollered out to any remaining passengers that this was the last port of call.

Scrambling from the back of the bus, Caleigh grabbed the minimal amount of stuff that she had brought with her from Boston and stepped off the bus, her battered biker boots hitting the ground with a dull thump. Looping her arm through the strap for her small holdall, she continued on through to the terminus and made her way to the wall that held a large blown-up map of LA. Her blue eyes searched for her destination and once she had decided on the best route to take, the twenty year old set off.

It wasn't long until she had reached her destination - the large outline of The Staples Center looming against the LA Skyline. Scuffing the ground with her toe, Caleigh mentally debated with herself about how she thought the following few hours would turn out. She had come so far to get where she was and now fear was setting in. Would he even want her around? Her mother certainly didn't, which was why Caleigh found herself where she was.

* * *

_Stumbling blindly up the steps to the outside of the house, Caleigh giggled drunkenly. She hadn't even intended on getting into such a state but then she ended up at some house party, swallowing cups of God only knows what, until she was left woozy and unsteady on her feet. She could barely even remember how she made it back to her front door, trying in vain to poke her key into the keyhole without much success. _

_The door swung open and Caleigh looked up from her doubled over position, and saw that her mother was standing above her with a frown on her face._

_"Shit! Well, would you look at that, I didn't need my key after all," Caleigh shrugged and stood up, pushing past her mother into the house._

_"Where the hell have you been, young lady?" Jackie closed the door and spun around to face her only daughter. "You come stumbling around here at all hours and waking all the neighbours up! You know you shouldn't be drinking! What the hell is wrong with you, Caleigh?"_

_"Oh, I don't know, mother," Caleigh spat as she wrestled to remove her black leather jacket. "Why don't you tell me?"_

_Jackie put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot, taking a few deep breaths. "If I had any clue, then perhaps I would. I just don't know what to do with you anymore," she tipped her head back to face the ceiling in frustration_

_Caleigh opened her mouth to retaliate but an overwhelming need to throw up came over her. Covering her mouth, the brunette fled the room and just managed to make it to the kitchen sink before she emptied the contents of her stomach down the plughole. Groaning aloud, she turned the water on and let it wash away the vomit before rinsing her own mouth out. Caleigh could hear her mom behind her, shuffling through the door that led from the hallway to the kitchen._

_"Why do you even pretend to love me? Why didn't you just get rid of me at the start?"_

_"Excuse me?!" Jackie's voice rose. "You are my daughter, Cal-"_

_"You say that like it means something," Caleigh said, turning around to press her back against the sink, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'm your daughter but you don't love me. You don't want me and you never did. I was a mistake and you should just admit it," she sighed, defeated and pushed herself away from the counter, taking a few steps towards her mother. "I'm just a horrible reminder of the fact that he left you. You were left holding the baby because he didn't want you, he didn't love you!" Caleigh hissed, tears stinging her eyes._

_The crack that sounded from the slap she received resonated around the room. Jackie had lashed out, the only thing she could think to do to get Caleigh to shut up._

_"He left you behind, too, lady! Don't forget that," her mom told her, her words no louder than a harsh whisper before she left the room._

* * *

Caleigh felt an ache in her chest as she remembered that night. It was the straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back when it came to her relationship with her mother. They hadn't spoken in the days following and Caleigh had neglected to tell her where she was going when she left the house to catch the bus.

Her mom was never slow at using Caleigh's absent dad to hurt her. Caleigh had lost count of the amount of insults that had flown her way involving the fact that he had gone and had never been back to see her since. She'd spent her life growing up and wondering who he was and what he was doing. Was he still alive? Was he famous? Did he have another family- one with a daughter who he treasured twice as much because of the other daughter he'd left behind? Did he still think about her? Had he ever tried to see her? Did he even want to see her or know her at all?

The questions had taunted Caleigh for her entire existence. And now she hoped that tonight would put rest to every one of them. Tonight she was finally going to get her answers.

Caleigh crossed the road and wandered around the edge of The Staples Center. The huge building made of glass and steel towered above her and made her feel nervous. How on earth was she supposed to get inside? Even if she did have the spare money to buy a ticket, she would never in a million years get close enough to ringside to see him. And then she would be back outside with no way to get in contact with him.

As she moved around the perimeter of the building, Caleigh came across a small group of what she assumed were fans, causing a commotion outside of one of the entrances. A security guard was trying to usher them back. Caleigh approached them and found that they were indeed fans; who were currently chanting for their favourite superstars and were holding signs up too. Once it became obvious that the only guard was distracted with trying to restrain the rowdy group of fans, Caleigh knew it would be easy to sneak by him and slip inside the stadium.

The inside of the stadium was dark and far more cluttered than she had imagined it to be. Power cables ran the length of the corridors and crates were stacked up against the walls at every turn. Posters hung sporadically on the white painted brick walls, advertising the up and coming acts; ranging from basketball to wrestling to music acts. Caleigh walked down one corridor and then another and people passed by her without asking questions. She was surprised that it had been so easy to gain access to the building. It should have been beyond her means to get this far but clearly luck was on her side.

There were far more people around than she had thought there would be. So many folk bustled about, several with black headsets hooked over there heads and some in suits and ties - all of them talking at a rapid pace. Caleigh - with her battered biker boots, frayed blue denim shorts and well-worn Led Zeppelin shirt - didn't fit in with any of them. Her dark brown hair was woven into a messy plait and she carried her holdall and an old guitar which was strapped against her back.

The stadium was beyond huge and Caleigh quickly found herself getting lost. She paced up and down corridors convinced that she had been there before but was too afraid to ask anyone in case they threw her out. She stopped at a corridor that split off into three different ones and found herself gazing at a poster that lined one of the walls. Blue eyes similar to her own stared back at her, advertising the upcoming pay-per-view that was taking place the following weekend. It detailed where you could catch a showing of it and at what stadium it was taking place in.

"You look lost," a voice came from her left. Caleigh turned to look at the person who had spoken to her. He was taller than her but not by much and he wore a pair of black jogging pants and a red t-shirt. His light brown hair was cut short but his facial hair was pretty much out of control.

"I'm not," Caleigh lied, turning back to glance at the picture once more. After a few moments, she looked back at the guy, who was still standing there, but now had his arms folded across his chest, an amused smirk pulling at his lips. "Is something funny?" she asked.

"No, well, I mean, you just look a little mesmerized by that poster," he pointed to the image on the wall. "You must be a fan. Has he got you a little starstruck?"

"I'm not mesmerized, just a little amazed is all," Caleigh explained. "You know, I am a little lost, maybe you can help me. I'm looking for John Cena."

The guy who stood with her ran a hand over his facial hair for a moment before an unintelligible sound escaped him.

"Huh? Why would you be looking for him?" he asked.

Caleigh bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. "Do you always ask so many questions?"

"You know it's rude to answer a question with another question?" the guy quipped, completely disregarding that he had answered her question with a question.

At this thought, Caleigh actually did laugh. "I'm Caleigh," she stuck her hand out for him to shake.

"Bryan," he introduced himself. "C'mon, I'll show you around and you can tell me why you want to see John Cena along the way."

* * *

Catering was busy when Bryan walked in in search of John. He found him sitting at a table with Randy, Matt, Punk, Stephen, Tyson and Nattie. Stephanie was perched on his lap, her arm around his shoulder.

"John!" Bryan tried to gain his attention. "John!" he was successful in his second attempt. The superstar turned to him, a dimpled grin on his face.

"Hey, man. What's up?" John asked, wrapping an arm around Stephanie's waist to hold her tight.

"I think maybe you should come out here. There's someone here to see you."

John frowned. "There's someone here to see me? Well, who is it?" he asked, not moving from his seat.

"Seriously, man," Bryan stressed. "You really need to come outside with me," he added, a worried look on his face.

"Look, Bryan-"

Caleigh cleared her throat to attract the two men who were conversing. She had come into catering even after Bryan had told her to wait outside. There was no point in leaving Bryan to convince John to come out and see her. He wasn't expecting her. He probably wouldn't even recognize her.

All of the occupants at the table looked to Caleigh. Stephanie raised her eyebrows at the young woman, curiosity filling her.

"Hi, Dad," Caleigh muttered, gripping the straps of her holdall tight until her fingers turned white.

"Caleigh?" John breathed out, shock hitting him like a punch in the gut.

_END OF CHAPTER_


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two - Well, You've Got My Attention_

Silence fell around the table as the other occupants looked between Caleigh and John in shock. The vibe around the table became almost uncomfortable.

John let out a breath, lifting the back of his free hand to cover his mouth. He was in shock. He had spent years secretly imagining that his little girl would turn up at a show looking for him. But now she was here and he was looking right at her, and the only difference was that she wasn't so little anymore.

Caleigh, herself, was in shock too. She hadn't expected this. She had thought that, maybe, he would be a little shocked. But then he would sweep her into his arms and mutter apologies of how he had failed her and he was sorry that he hadn't been there. But now he was pretty much looking through her, almost as if she wasn't really there.

"C-Caleigh," he stuttered her name once more. "W-What are you doing here?" he asked, bewildered.

Caleigh took a deep intake of air and it caught in the back of her throat. Her bottom lip trembled as she tried to find the words to convey how she was feeling.

"I...I didn't expect this, that's for sure," she started, reaching up to twist the end of her plait. "You know, it took me a lot to rustle up the courage to do this. And all you can do is sit there and ask me why I'm here. Why the hell do you think I'm here? You're my dad. I wanted to know about you," she breathed out.

"John?" the woman on his lap said in a low voice. "Baby, is this for real? Is she really your daughter?" she asked, glancing around the table at their friends, who all had equal expressions of confusion and/or horror etched on their faces.

"Yes," John's reply was no higher than a faint whisper. He patted Stephanie's side, asking her to stand up. Rounding the table, he came closer to his daughter. He wanted to reach out, take her into his arms, hold her for the first time since she was a baby. But he was scared. He was scared of how she would react. "Caleigh, I-"

"You know, I used to lie awake at night and wonder why you weren't there," Caleigh muttered. "I used to wonder what I'd done wrong," she told him, tears stinging her eyes.

"Caleigh, c'mon, sweetheart, you didn't-"

"Don't touch me!" Caleigh hissed as he reached out for her. She took a few steps back, trying to put distance between them. "Now I know that you're just some jumped-up asshole, who has more time for some eye candy in a short skirt than his own daughter," she snapped, turning on her heel to flee the room before John had a chance to reply.

"Caleigh!" he shouted after her. "Fuck!" he slammed his fists against the table in anger before slumping into a chair and putting his head in his hands. "I didn't exactly handle that well," he groaned.

* * *

Caleigh fled the room, tears blurring her vision. She was so angry at him. But more than anything, she just felt pain.

Someone grabbed her shoulder and she tried to push them off.

"Let go!" she bit out at the other person.

"Hey," Bryan moved in front of her, slowing her to a stop. She pushed against him, trying to fight her way past but he was far too strong for her. "C'mon, calm down," he soothed her. "It's alright," he pulled her towards him tentatively, unsure of how she would react. Instead of pulling away, however, Caleigh practically launched herself into his arms, her face buried in his neck as she cried, one hand gripping the back of his neck and the other on his left shoulder. "Ssh," Bryan tried to quieten her down. "It's okay," he smoothed a palm across her plaited hair.

"Oh, Bryan," Caleigh sobbed. "How could I make such a huge mistake?"

"Don't say that, Caleigh," he whispered to her. "You didn't make a mistake," Bryan pulled back from her so that he could see her face. Tears ran down her cheeks, leaving faint black mascara trails in their wake. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and her cheeks were coloured from embarrassment. "I agree with you, it took a lot of courage to do what you did. But, sweetheart, you've got to think about how he feels too."

"I don't give a damn how he feels!" Caleigh snapped, defiantly. "He should have thought about that before he upped sticks and left me behind," her shoulders shook with another wave of sobs.

"Stop crying. Don't get yourself into such a state," Bryan rubbed her shoulders. "C'mon, we'll head back to my locker room and we can talk before I get ready for my match."

Caleigh sniffed, wiping her face with her hands. "Okay," she nodded, trying to wipe the make-up trails from her cheeks and under her eyes.

* * *

John stalked through the arena in search of Caleigh. He knew she had disappeared with Bryan earlier but he just hoped that she hadn't decided to do a runner. He wasn't sure how he would handle her running away from him after only just seeing her again.

He wasn't going to deny how hard it had been to stay away from her. Becoming a father at such a young age was devastating. He wasn't ready and Jackie wasn't ready to be a mother. He didn't love her and he sure as hell knew that she didn't love him either. They were ill-fitting and that didn't make the best home to bring a baby into. But when Jackie had told him she was keeping Caleigh, well, he stuck by her. And when the doctor had placed Caleigh in his arms after she was born, John had never felt such a wave of love rush through him before. There are no words to describe how it feels to know that you helped create something so tiny and so precious.

But they were so young. And motherhood didn't come easy to Jackie. John tried his best but there were so many fights. The screaming became unbearable and he just couldn't take anymore. So he walked, in the hopes that his daughter would be better off living in a house without warring parents. However, when he'd asked Jackie if he could see Caleigh, she'd point blankly refused. She tore his letters up, declined his phone calls and kept Caleigh away from him. There was only so much he could do - his life wasn't suited to having a child around permanently - he was studying hard at college and thinking about his future. He would never have been able to look after a baby at the same time. When his career with the WWE had taken off, he'd thought about going back to try and find Caleigh, but the thought of facing Jackie again filled him with dread. He knew that his ex-girlfriend would never let him have access to their daughter; she loathed him with a passion, for leaving.

He just wished that he had handled things differently. It was easy to see now how much he had hurt Caleigh by leaving. She had grown up thinking that she was bad and that she had done something to make him leave her. She'd spent countless hours wondering about him and where he was. And all along, John could have erased her pain if he'd just had the courage to go and get her.

John knocked once on the door to Bryan's locker room before going in. Bryan was already dressed for his match and was in the process of warming up. But Caleigh was no where to be seen.

"Where is she?" John asked, almost breathless.

"Caleigh?" Bryan asked, stopping his stretching. "She left about 15 minutes ago. She told me she was going to find you, John," Bryan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Fuck, man, I'm sorry. We talked and I really thought she had seen things from my perspective and she was going to come and talk to you," he started to follow John from the room.

"Where the hell is she?!" John panicked, leaving the locker room. "If anything has happened to her..." he trailed off, not wanting to think about things like that.

"Maybe she's going home?" Bryan suggested. "You know, with the way everything went down in catering, there's a good chance that she's just going to want to forget everything.

* * *

Caleigh walked back along the same route that she had taken to The Staples Center from the bus station. A chill had set into the air and the young woman had fished an over sized grey zipper from her holdall, slipping it on over her shorts and t-shirt, and throwing the hood up over her hair. Her eyes stung from the tears she had cried. She was foolish to think that things would have any different. I mean, this was John Cena we're talking about. He's the biggest face of the WWE. He wasn't going to just drop everything because his daughter showed up on his doorstep, figuratively speaking.

The bus terminal was still relatively busy when Caleigh got back there. Her eyes followed the lines of the departures as she checked for the next bus leaving for Boston. It wasn't leaving until 2.30am, and Caleigh bit out a groan. Swiveling on her heel, her shoulders slumped as she walked over to the desk to purchase her ticket.

The bus journey to LA had been a nightmare, a return journey being something that Caleigh was hoping she wouldn't have to face again anytime soon. Over the space of three days, the bus had trundled through town after town, city after city, until it had arrived in Los Angeles. The twenty year old had been stiff and sore and the walk to The Staples Center had helped to alleviate the pressure on her muscles. She really was not too excited about folding herself into a tiny seat once more, surrounded by hundreds of different strangers, noisy kids and people who had no concept of basic manners.

After buying her ticket, Caleigh headed to the concession stand. Her movements had become sluggish as tiredness and lack of food set in. Leaving the concession stand with a fizzy drink and a bag of snacks tucked under her arm, Caleigh headed for the far corner of the bus terminal, slumping down onto the floor. She unhooked her guitar from her back and placed it over her lap, the strap wound around her wrist to prevent anyone from stealing it. Picking up her fizzy drink, it was gone within a matter of minutes as she tried to assuage the thirst that she was feeling. A headache was beginning to set in and Caleigh let her head fall back against the wall, her temples throbbing.

Minutes passed as Caleigh lay slumped against the wall, her mind trying to focus on what had happened back at the arena. Warm breath danced across her bare knee and she started, opening her groggy eyes when a hand firmly shook her leg. Blinking, Caleigh concentrated on the face in front of her, reeling back in shock when she saw her dad there.

"W-what are you doing here?" she tried to push herself into a more comfortable position. He had a skip cap pulled down low over his head and a large hoodie thrown on over the t-shirt he had been wearing earlier and the jean shorts he wore.

"I think, maybe, the question is what are you doing here? Where the hell do you think you're going, Caleigh?!" his question came out in a rushed whisper, laced with the anger and panic he had been feeling since she disappeared. "You cannot just run off like that!"

"What did you want me to do?" Caleigh licked her lips, her mouth completely void of moisture. Her head was still swimming and she needed to stand up and stretch.

"Not run away, for one thing!" John snapped. Caleigh tried to pull herself up and when her father noticed she was struggling, he cupped her elbow with his hand and pulled her into a standing position with ease. "Look, I know I didn't handle things well, okay? But, you showing up was a huge surprise to me. I didn't think your mom would have told you who I was, Caleigh," he shrugged.

"She didn't," Caleigh allowed the hood of her zipper to fall back down, revealing her brown hair still woven into the now frayed plait. Glancing around at all the travelers moving through the terminal, Caleigh knew that she didn't want to air all of their grievances there. "I found a picture of you. It was tucked away in a box in a drawer. My birth certificate and some other medical records were in there too. Jackie doesn't even know I'm here," she added, calling her mom by her first name.

John groaned aloud. "You're going to get in so much trouble," he hissed, already starting to act like a father. "C'mon, get your things and let's go."

"I'm sorry? Where are we going?" Caleigh questioned.

"You're coming with me! I'm not going to let you run off again. Now, get your-"

"But I've already bought my ticket," the brunette protested. "And let's face it, if the way you handled things back there is anything to go by, then maybe you're just not ready for this."

"Caleigh," he closed his eyes, groaning her name out. "I know that it took you a lot of courage to come all the way out here to see me. And I do know that I handled it badly, I've already said that, but you are my daughter. And we've got a shit load of things to talk about. Now, please, get your things and come with me," he practically pleaded, trying not to draw attention to the two of them.

Beginning to feel slightly better, Caleigh couldn't fight the small smile that pulled at her lips.

"Okay," she agreed, hooking her guitar back over her shoulder. Her dad scooped up her holdall before she could and started walking ahead of her, leaving her to catch up with him.

_END OF CHAPTER_


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three - A Plan Of Action_

Caleigh sat outisde Vince McMahon's makeshift office in the Rupp Center in Lexington, Kentucky. She had been traveling on the road with her dad for over a week now and had slowly been getting used to the schedule. Her sleeping pattern had been severely disturbed; they didn't get to bed until late and they were up early every morning to travel ahead to the next city.

Yawning, Caleigh sat forward and balanced her elbows on her knees, pushing her face into her hands. She let out a groan when she heard another round of voices being raised from inside the office and the sound of a fist thumping against wood.

"Something fun must be going on in there, huh?" Caleigh jumped at the sound of the lazy drawl coming from above her.

"Yeah, it sure sounds like it," she quipped back, sitting back in her seat. Crossing her ankles which were clad in her tatty biker boots again, Caleigh wrapped her fingers around the edge of the seat, tensing them when she heard her dad's voice being raised. A small smile worked it's way onto her lips. "Are you a wrestler?" Caleigh found herself asking.

The man next to her nodded once, his blue eyes trailing over her from head-to-toe. Caleigh knew she wasn't the typical girl that you expected to find hanging around the arena in the middle of the day.

"I'm Jon," he introduced himself. "And you are?" he asked, his hot gaze sweeping over her once more, causing a soft blush to rise up into Caleigh's cheeks

"Oh, I'm-" Caleigh was cut off abruptly by the door to Vince McMahon's office opening and then slamming once more. Her dad now stood in the corridor, a heavy sigh leaving his lips. His shoulders dropped and he rolled his neck and Caleigh could see the frustration in his expression as she looked to him. "Are you okay?" she asked, turning her attention to her dad.

"I'm fine, Caleigh," he replied. His eyes then turned to Jon standing in the corridor. "Ambrose," he acknowledged him, walking up to pat the other man on the back. "Good to see you running around the arena during the day with the big boys, kid," he added.

Turning his eyes to his daughter, John pressed his hand to Caleigh's shoulder as she stood up. "C'mon, let's go," he ushered her forward. Caleigh started walking down the corridor, glancing over her shoulder to see Jon standing in the corridor watching them, a peculiar expression on his face.

* * *

Hours later, once her dad had gone out to the ring for his match, Caleigh took a trip to catering, seeking out some much needed food. The catering area was quite busy, numerous different superstars milling about inside. Grabbing a bottle of water and some apple slices, Caleigh set about finding some place to sit and eat.

"Caleigh, over here," the brunette heard Nattie Neidhart's voice. Caleigh turned to look to the corner where she saw Nattie sitting with her husband TJ 'Tyson Kidd' Wilson, Phil 'CM Punk' Brooks, two guys that she didn't know and the man she had met in the corridor that afternoon. He was currently lying sprawled across one of the sofas in their little corner, his feet perched upon the arm of one end and his head resting against the other. He now wore a black sleeveless vest and a pair of black cargo pants tucked into black combat boots. His light brown hair was smoothed back against his head with some kind of gel and he had a lazy smirk on his face.

Caleigh swallowed thickly and made her way over.

"Hi," she smiled shyly as Nattie and then TJ hugged her and Phil pulled her to sit down next to him on the sofa he was occupying.

"How's road life treating you, toots?" Phil asked her, not having seen her in a few days.

"It's alright. I guess I just have to get used to the schedule. My sleeping pattern is pretty messed up though," she admitted, opening her apple slices to take a bite of one.

"Oh, Caleigh, this is Joe, Colby and Jon," Nattie introduced her to the two guys she didn't know and the third one whom she had met earlier.

"Nice to meet you guys," Caleigh replied politely, chuckling slightly.

"You don't look familiar, Caleigh, I don't think I've seen you around before. What do you do around here?" Colby asked her.

Caleigh attempted to respond when she saw Joe smack him across the back of the head.

"You'll have to excuse him, he seems to have forgotten his manners," Joe told her, a chuckle leaving him as Colby whined slightly next to him before turning and smacking the bigger man across the arm.

"Dude! Uncalled for, man," Colby told him. "I was just asking!"

As his two friends launched into a verbal spat, Jon stayed reclined on the sofa, tucking one arm behind his head as he watched Caleigh.

"It's okay, Joe, really!" Caleigh interrupted their little spat, reassuring the bigger man that she wasn't offended by Colby's question. "You're right, Colby. I've only been on the road a week. I'm traveling with my dad."

"Cool," Colby told her with a smile directed at Joe.

Eating another apple slice, Caleigh sat back next to Phil, who proceeded to drape his arm across her shoulders. Since her dad had introduced them, Caleigh had found a friend in Phil. He was helping her to adjust to life on the road and he always seemed to have some sort of advice to give her if she required it. He was down-to-earth, could make her laugh and a genuinely fun guy to be around.

Nattie and TJ bid the group their goodbyes, with Nattie insisting she'd catch up with Caleigh soon.

Jon sat up, stretching his arms and legs out. He reached forward to the table and scooped up a bottle of water that was there.

"If you don't mind me asking, Caleigh," Colby started politely, looking out of the corner of his eye at Joe in case he hit him again. "Who is your dad? Is he somebody we know?"

"Yeah," Caleigh laughed at how polite he was being. "My dad is John Cena," Caleigh added, jumping when Jon choked on his water, spitting some of it out across the table.

"Seriously?" He asked, his voice raspy from choking.

"Yeah," Caleigh grinned at him, reaching up to toy with her side plait. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yeah, I mean, no, I mean, you just don't look that much alike," Jon told her, running a hand over his gelled hair. "How old are you, anyway?"

"Last time I checked, it wasn't polite to ask a women her age, Jon," Caleigh raised her eyebrows at him. "But if you must know, I just turned 20."

Colby whistled lowly and Caleigh imagined that he was trying to figure out how old that made her dad when she was born.

"So, can I ask, why my dad called you Ambrose earlier in the corridor?" Caleigh asked Jon.

"That's his ring name, toots," Caleigh looked to Phil as he started to speak. He'd reclined back further into the sofa, lifting one leg and balancing it across his other knee at the ankle. "These guys are known onscreen as Seth Rollins," Colby held his hand up acknowledging his ring name. "Roman Reigns," Joe nodded his head at Caleigh. "And Dean Ambrose," Caleigh turned her eyes to Jon, who simply stared back at her, unabashed.

"Collectively, we're known as The Shield," Joe added to Phil's statement.

"So he calls you all by your ring names?" Caleigh asked, looking around at Colby, Joe and Jon's faces. They all nodded. "Jeez, he's a bit of a douche, eh?"

All four guys started to laugh at Caleigh's statement.

"Um, Caleigh?" Another voice interrupted their laughing and Caleigh turned to see Nikki there. "Your dad is looking for you," she told Caleigh, nervously looking between Jon, Colby and Joe.

"Okay," Caleigh looked over at Nikki, her smile starting to fade as she laid eyes on her dad's girlfriend. Caleigh and Nikki had been formally introduced but she didn't think too highly of her dad's choice of a girlfriend. And Nikki didn't seem to be too open to the idea that John had a grown daughter who wanted to be in his life. Caleigh had gone too long without her dad to worry about some little tramp getting in the way. But she would play nice with a Nikki, if only for her dad's sake. "I'm sure if it's important, he'll come and find me," Caleigh turned back to the group but she could feel Nikki still hovering on the edge.

"Well, h-he sent me to get you. He wants to take off shortly for the hotel," Nikki stuttered, not comfortable with being around the three members of The Shield.

Caleigh let out a sigh before grinning at the four guys around her. "Looks like I've been summoned," she stood up. "It was nice meeting you guys," she looked around at Colby, Joe and then Jon, locking eyes with the latter for slightly longer than necessary before turning to Phil. "I'm sure I'll see you later," she told him. Phil nodded at her and the other three all bid her goodbye as she walked off, not waiting on Nikki as she headed out of catering.

* * *

"Caleigh, wait!" Nikki called after her, tottering down the corridor in her high heels as she tried to keep up with Caleigh's fast pace.

"What do you want?" Caleigh responded, stopping in the corridor. "You can't pull of that holier-than-thou act with me, Nikki, like you can with my dad. I know that you don't like me and I'm not going to pretend that I'm your biggest fan either. Lets just play nice for the sake of my dad and this bumpy ride will go a whole lot smoother."

"You know, I was trying to be nice but if that's the way you want it, then fine. I'll play your game."

"Sounds like a plan," Caleigh retorted and then turned on her heel, continuing on down the corridor in the direction of her dad's locker room.

_END OF CHAPTER_


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four - __It Won't Hurt, Right?_

"I can believe you sent Nikki of all people to get me!" Caleigh hissed as John opened the door to their hotel room. The large suite that the WWE now paid for them to have had two separate sections; one in which Caleigh could sleep and which had her own private bathroom and another which offered the same amenities to John.

"What's your issue with Nikki? She's been nothing but nice to you, Caleigh," John said and Caleigh could hear the disappointed tone in her dad's voice.

"I don't have an issue with Nikki," Caleigh shrugged, chucking her rucksack down onto the sofa. "She's nice, I guess. It doesn't mean I want to be her best friend and spend every waking moment with her. In actual fact, I'd much rather I didn't have to send any time with her. She's your girlfriend, not mine."

John turned his blue eyes on Caleigh, anger evident in them. "Exactly! Which is why I would appreciate that you keep your thoughts to yourself. Weren't you ever taught if you've not got anything nice to say then don't say anything at all?"

"Geez, okay!" Caleigh huffed, turning to fish her toiletry bag out of her rucksack. "You know, you really have got to lighten up. You're dragging my mood down too," she added as she turned back to look at her dad. Lifting her rucksack from the sofa, she narrowed her eyes at him. "This is the best I've felt all week and I don't need you ruining that. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to take a shower and then maybe grab a bite to eat downstairs before I turn in."

* * *

Caleigh stepped into the bar/restaurant downstairs inside the hotel. Heading for the bar, she took a seat on one of the leather stools that ran the length of it. A menu was already sitting in front of her and she flicked it open, her eyes running over the food that was on offer. She wasn't particularly hungry but she knew that to keep herself healthy that she had to eat a balanced and punctual diet. She'd been in for a quick shower and changed her clothes, now wearing a pair of light coloured denim shorts with white crochet lace adorned along the edge of them and a pale lemon loose fitting cami top. She'd secured her brunette locks in a loose side ponytail, allowing the ends to drape down over one shoulder and over her chest.

A barman appeared in front of her and Caleigh looked up, smiling slightly at him. He leered at her, his eyes fixed on her chest rather than her face. Caleigh rolled her eyes and ordered a tossed salad with some grilled chicken pieces and a still water. Charging it to the room, Caleigh sat back on her stool and waited on her order being cooked. The barman appeared back in front of her and Caleigh could tell he was trying to get her to talk to him. He wiped the bar down, concentrating on the area near her the most. Letting out a sigh, Caleigh was about to let him down gently when someone took the seat next to her at the bar.

Looking to her left, Caleigh found herself face to face with Jon. He had also showered and his hair was loose around his head, some strands falling down around his face. He now wore a pair of blue jeans, a white t-shirt which looked to be stretched nicely across his firm chest and a worn leather jacket over the top.

"I'll take a beer," he said gruffly to the barman who then went to retrieve Jon's drink, while Jon and Caleigh held eye contact, neither blinking nor moving. "How are you?" Jon asked, breaking the silence between them.

"I'm good. Just getting some food. How are you?" Caleigh licked her lips softly, her voice trembling very slightly. She was out of her league when it came to standing toe-to-toe with Jon. It wasn't like she was inexperienced when it came to men but this man had that down-and-dirty-just-rolled-out-of-bed sexiness about him. Caleigh had a feeling that he had seen more action that she had had hot dinners. His stare was unashamed, the heat in his gaze obvious and Caleigh felt herself swallowing thickly, scrabbling to inhale all of the air she could muster.

"I've been better," Jon replied, shrugging.

The barman interrupted them, placing Jon's beer down in front of him. Lifting the bottle to his lips, Jon took a long gulp from the neck, drinking down half the beer in one go. "Get me another and then you can piss off, she doesn't want anything to do with you," Jon turned his gaze to the barman, narrowing his eyes at the guy.

The guy scurried off and Caleigh couldn't fight the smile that was pulling at her lips.

"That was just plain mean," Caleigh tutted at Jon.

"Nobody ever said I was a nice guy, sugar," Jon took another drink from his beer, finishing it off. The barman reappeared with Jon's second beer and also with Caleigh's meal and her water. Placing the items down, he couldn't get to the other side of the bar quick enough, putting as much distance between himself and Jon as he could. Jon took one look at Caleigh's dinner and he started to chuckle. "Aren't you being a healthy little girl tonight eh?" He teased.

Caleigh shrugged, already chewing a mouthful of lettuce and cucumber. Swallowing she grinned at him. "Needs must," she simple replied, not wanting to divulge too much information about her life to a man she barely knew. "I can share, if you like?" Caleigh offered, forking a bit of the grilled chicken and holding it out to him.

"Nah, I'm good," he laughed. "You look like you need it more than I do."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Caleigh hit back, wondering if she should feel offended.

"You just look tired," Jon laughed, running a hand over the top of his head before drinking the neck of his second beer.

"Mmmm," Caleigh responded as she swallowed some chicken before taking a drink of her water. "I'm still getting to grips with the schedule. I struggle to sleep at the best of times and so getting up at 5am is not my idea of a good start to the day."

"I'm not much of a sleeper myself unless I go on a complete bender and fucking pass out."

"I used to do that a lot. I guess I had this period in my life where I rebelled a little, like most kids do. But I try not to drink too much anymore. I'm not really supposed to," Caleigh admitted, a blush rising into her cheeks as she ate some more food.

"What's the fun in doing what you're supposed to, sunshine?" Jon brushed his shoulder against hers.

"I guess when your health depends on it, it takes all the fun out of everything," Caleigh replied slightly morbidly.

"You're being a little cryptic there, Caleigh. What are you trying to say?" Jon finished his beer and turned towards her.

Caleigh chuckled, shaking her head at him. "Never mind. I'm sure you have better things to do than sit around and listen to me. I shouldn't even be talking about it but, I guess, you're just easy to converse with."

"You've got my full attention," Jon replied, his face as serious as it could be. "Tell me," he insisted, jumping up and down in his seat slightly, making Caleigh laugh.

"I'll tell you what, when I want to talk about it, you'll be the first to know," Caleigh finally responded after thinking it over.

"Damn! You're not much fun, are you?" Jon pursed his lips, practically pouting at her. "Definitely a trait you pick up from your old man."

Caleigh's lips lifted in a smirk. "Hey! You've got no idea how much fun I can be," she winked at him.

Jon chuckled. "Speaking of your old man, word around the locker room is that Vince wants you on the roster. I've heard tales that that's what his meeting with Cena was about this afternoon."

"Wh-what?! You can't be serious? I'm not a wrestler, I don't want to wrestle!" Caleigh practically spat. "What a stupid idea, Jon."

Jon shook his head at her. "Don't get your feathers all ruffled, sugar. Wrestling it not all bad, you know," he grinned, showing that he hadn't taken offence to her comments. "From what I hear, the boss wants your old man to publicly announce you as his daughter, introduce you on screen, the whole shebang. And he wants to stick you in some sort of story-line which will effect the upcoming championship match."

"Ho-how, I mean, wh-what can I do that will effect the match? Look, don't get me wrong, I think what you guys do is great, I admire someone who has that level of athleticism. But being on screen with the WWE is not my dream. I don't want to become some damn reflection of my dad, I'm not going to live in his fucking shadow," Caleigh raged. "I'm nobody's puppet."

Jon laughed at her, a physical head thrown back, hands over his stomach laugh. His eyes were crinkled and his face had a nice rosy tint to it as he found what Caleigh had said to be very funny.

Caleigh pushed the remainder of her dinner away from her, not feeling like she could eat any more after what Jon had told her.

"You're looking a little green, sweetheart. You alright?" Jon asked, signalling for the barman to come over so he could get another beer.

"I'm fine," her voice had taken on a higher pitch to it.

"C'mon, have a drink with me? It'll make you feel better. One little drink won't hurt, right?" Jon waggled his eyebrows at her.

Caleigh licked her lips as she looked at him. "I guess not. I'll have one of those beers."

* * *

Caleigh opened the door to the hotel room that she shared with her dad. She'd stayed in the bar and had a few drinks with Jon and now she was feeling slightly tipsy. Checking the small clock on the shelf in the living room, Caleigh saw that it was already well past midnight. She would need to be up in a matter of hours to travel ahead to the next city. Hopefully, the beer she had consumed would help her grab a few hours shut eye.

There was nothing but silence from her dad's side of the room, something that Caleigh was very thankful for. She didn't really want to get another lecture from another parent about the way she acted. She and her dad were on shaky footing as it was; it was hard for him trying to be a father to her after 19 years. He was trying and Caleigh knew that. But she was so set in her ways that it made following a whole different set of rules boring to her.

Flopping down on her bed and slipping her ankle boots off, Caleigh rolled over and curled up on her side. She was too sluggish and too tipsy to think about removing her clothes. She closed her eyes and fell into a sleep, dreaming of hot blue eyed stares, light brown hair and the bitter tang of beer.

_END OF CHAPTER_


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